#Battlefield

Battle of the Twente Canal and the Liberation of Delden

While the south of the Netherlands was liberated by the end of 1944, liberation for the Dutch north of the major rivers would take more than half a year longer. The German occupiers initially still considered themselves relatively safe above the rivers—until early March 1945, when Allied forces crossed the Rhine into Germany and began liberating the rest of the Netherlands from there.

The Achterhoek and Twente regions were among the first to taste the joy of regained freedom in the spring of 1945. But some obstacles remained.

One such obstacle was the Twente Canal near Delden, which had to be crossed for the Allied advance toward Bornerbroek and Almelo.

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, British and Canadian troops approached the Twente Canal near Stad and Ambt Delden. There, they were halted by rapid fire from German gun emplacements.

Soldiers of the Hermann Göring Division blew up both bridges across the Twente Canal in Delden. On April 2, the bridge near the Wiene lock was also destroyed. During shelling, the tower of the Blasius Church was hit directly.

On April 3, in a swift surprise attack, a Canadian commando unit managed to cross the canal in rubber boats, under the cover of intense artillery fire, smoke screens, and blinding spotlights. The German soldiers still offered fierce resistance. A small group of Canadian troops succeeded in reaching the opposite bank and captured a farmhouse to establish a foothold.

During the night, the Canadians did everything they could to gain control of the lock at Wiene. Eventually, they managed to place a temporary Bailey bridge across the narrow stretch of the canal, allowing the first heavy Sherman tanks to advance toward Stad Delden.

This emergency bridge was only in use for a short time. The very next day, a larger Bailey bridge was built on pontoons next to the destroyed St. Anna Bridge, enabling the main Allied force to push further north.

After several Sherman tanks drove off the German occupiers with direct hits, the Canadians reached the center of Delden on April 3. The town was liberated—but not yet completely safe, with the enemy still within firing range.

Haarweg 7495, 7495 RC Ambt Delden

Photos